Relay-operating mechanism



June 24', 1930. R. c. LEAKE RELAY OPERATING MECHANISM Fild March 25. 1926 75 oam 5%, WM afliozweq Patented done 2%, ldE-Si);

n vi to which will RICHARD C. LEAKE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YGEK,

SEGNAL COMPANY,

SSZGNG'R TO GENERAL RAILWA'Y YEW YQEK RELAY-GPERATING EIEANISH? VApplicatien filed March iarly concerns means for preventing the lil1 proper operation or such relays one to the inertia of their moving parts.

in the control of vari us electrical devic and circuits 1 e, one particularly in a itoinatic train control and railway s naling practice, it desi or necessary to use po I I" 'ent relays oi the indutw tion type. EVQL a milable for the operation ot sys is very small, the operating element or rotor is usually con- 'iected to the clay contact operating means "hrongh a train of gears or other suitable eduction inc haiism is providing a dcdepen "ly operate the cona minimum amount of o iorating Relays of the nolyphasc type are red to have roe operating pc- 'iat is, three oositions in which varione contacts are opened or closed, and these positions are usually obtained by the energization of the relay Winding to operate the Y re Winding. 'lhe he (lo-energized rotor in one direction or the other ens b de-energization of the relay u relay mechanism is moved to t or neutral position by seine suitable cen ing means operated by aspring or Weight, and when the relayivindings are de-energrizcd, permitting the centering 1?. ans to act on the moving parts, it is found that the rotor or operating element together with various other moving parts of the relay, acquire such momentum that the contact operating means carried beyond its neutral or (ls-energized position, thus producing; an undesirable opening and closing or bobbing of the neutral relay contacts. I Most railway and train control systems are designed on the closed circuit principle, that is, the devices employed are active Wh (lo-energized, and tor this and other obvious reas'ons,it is essential that the control relay operation be positive and that such contacts are opened or closed in the tie-energized neutral position remain in such conditions respet-"ively until the relay is again energized.

Generally speaking, it is the primary ob ject of the present invention to provide means Bil Serial No. 37,369.

for we in connection with induction relays for prevcntin :talse operation or bobbing o the relay co icts when the relay is de-enied. More lically it is proposed to der'ce tor relays of the scribed inclucing njicchanical means nu the momentum ac-(pnred by the arts 01 the relay operating means, by insuring triatthe relay contacts 'n in their proper opened or closed when the relay windings are der ized.

Other specific objects, advantages and char- :ac ic features of this invention will be ap mrent as the description thereof pro- QlQt'iP-ICS.

describing the invention in detail, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings 1. which the 6558;! ml elements of a- QHllJOLlX lilii he present in reution have v t. 1 shown in a single figure, the parts having been she vn in perspective and vertically separated to simplify he disclosure.

lleterring' to the drawings, the relay of the p 'esent invention comprises in general a rotor element which may take any suitable form and as shown comprises the cup shaped rotor l, constructed oi. a suitable conducting mat-"rial sucl as aluminum, and secured to a sh L- 2 by a key or other means. Suitably distributed field windings are provided to )lOilllCG a rotating or shifting flux through the rotor l in order to produce torque therein in the well known manner, these field \vindhaving he in conventionally represented n the drarvinos at 3 and i.

i fhe shaft 2 carries a pinion o suitably scoured thereto and engaging a toothed sector 6 mounted to turn if rely on a second shaft 7. The sector 6 is 1 connected to drive the shaft 7 through a lostniotioii device as hereinafter described.

:. oinion 8 is mounted on the shaft 7 above the sector 6 and is fixed to the shaft by the pin 9 engaging a slot 10 in the hub of the ond toothe'l sector 11 fixed to a contact opera ing shot 12. The shaft 12, as Well as the sill-alts 2 and 7, 1s carried by suitable antifriction bearings represented in the drawings by the pivot bearings 13. The contact operating shaft 12 carries a movable contact arm 14 fixed thereto. The arm 14 may or may not be constructed of insulating material, and carries suitable conducting contact finers 15, preferably of the flexible type. The

ngers 15 are arranged to engage or disengage suitable stationary contacts when moved to either one of two energized positions, or while in their de-energized or neutral position as shown, two stationary contacts having been represented at 16.and 17.

- Referring now more particularly to the lost motion centering device which in part constitutes the present invention the sector 6 is rovided with an enlarged portion 18 carrying two downwardly extendin pins 19 and 20 which are equally spaced from the center line of the sector 6 as shown. A centering lever L is keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the shaft 7 below the sector 6, one end 21 of this lever extendingbetween the downwardly projecting pins 19 and 20, and

. the opposite end 22 thereof carrying a large roller 3. The shaft 7 carries a spring 24 at the upper end thereof between the fixed collar 25 and the upper face of the pinion 8, the spring 24 acting to com ress the sector 6 between the pinion 8 an the lever L. Two pivotally mounted centering arms 26 and 27 are provided to operate the centering lever L. These arms 26 and 27 are pivotally mounted on the pins 28 and 29 respectively, these pins being secured to, or integral with, the relay frame or casing. The free ends of the arms 26 and 27 engage the opposite sides of the roller 23 on the lever L, the centering arms being biased toward each other by the springs 30 and 31, which are mounted on the shaft 32 between the outer faces of the arms 26 and 27 and the stops 33 and 34 respectively. The centering arms 26 and 27 normally rest against the fixed stops 35 and 36 respectively,

I these stops being so arranged that the centering lever L is held in the neutral or deenergized position as shown when both of the arms are in engagement with their respective stops. It is evident that any movement of the lever L from its neutral position as shown is resisted bv one or the other of the springs 30 and 31, acting through one of the arms 26 and 27. g

Considering the operation of the relay comprising the present invention, assume that the field windings 3 and 4 are energized to produce a torque in a'clockwise direction in the rotor 1. The rotation of the rotor 1 drives the sector 6 through the pinion 5 in a counter-clockwise direction, until the pin 19 engages the end portion 21 of the lever L, this free motion of the sector 6 being lightly resisted by the frictional engagement of the sector 6 with the spring pressed pinion 8 and the lever L. When the pin 19 engages the lever L. the shaft 7 is turned by the sector 6, carrying with it the pinion 8 and driving the contact operating shaft 12 through the sector 11. to one of its extreme energized positions. At this point the mechanism is ircught to a stop by the engagement of oer tain of the contact fin re 15 with their stationary contact mem ers, the torque produced in the rotor 1 acting to compress these contact elements and so to insure'au elemical contact of low resistance.

lVhen either one or both of the field windings 3 and 4am de-energized, no torque is produced in the rotor 1, and the mechanism is returned to its neutral or de-energized position by means of the centering device. Assuming that the contact operating shaft 12 has been moved in a clockwise direction, compressing the contact finger 15 against the stationary contact 16, the spring 30 of the centering device will have been com )ressed as the relay mechanism was move to its energized position. U on the de-energization of the relay win ings, this spring 30, acting through the centering arm 26 and the roller 23 forces the centering lever L toward the neutral position, carrying with it the shaft 7, and the contact operating mechanism together with the sector 6, the shaft 2 and the rotor 1. \Vhen the neutral position is reached and the centering arm 26 engages its stop 35, no further force is applied to the centering lever L, and this lever is held stationary at this point by the pressure exerted on it by the spring 31 through the arm 27. The rotor 1 together with the shaft 2 and the sector 6 have acquired a certain momentum while being driven by the spring 30 as just described, and these parts continue in motion after the centering lever L andthe shaft 7 have come to a stop, the pin 19 disengaging the lever L and the motion of the sector 6 having no effect on the shaft 7 or the contact element 14. Thus the momentum acquired by the driving parts-is rapidly dissipated in friction between the sector 6, the pinion 8 and the lever L, the sector being frictionally engaged between these parts as described above. The spacing of the pins 19 and 20 carried by the sector 6 is such that sufficient free run of the rotor is permitted to dissipate the momentum acquired without bringing the pin 20 into contact with the portion 21 of the lever L. In this manner, the momentum of the rotor 1 is not transmitted to the contact operating mechanism of the relay, and there is no tendency of the neutral relay contacts to open or close their respective circuits.

After the relay has come to rest in the neutral position, the sector 6 is located at some intermediate point such that neither of the pins 1!) and 26 engage the end portion 21 of the lever L. For this reason, a certain amount of free run of the rotor 1 is permitted when the relay is again energized, this free run enabling the rotor andother driving parts to acquire a substantial initial momentum before either of the springs and 31 are cornpressed.

From the description given it is seen that a very simple and effective centering means vthe precise disclosure shown except as indicated in the appended claims.

What it is desired to secure by Letters Pat ent is 1. In an alternating current relay, in combination with a movable contact element. having a neutral position and an energized position, a power operated element for moving said contact element to said energized position, a centering device for returning said contact element to said neutral position and including spring biased spaced arms, spaced pins, and a pivoted lever with its ends resyectivelypositioned between said arms and pins, and means for dissipating the momentum acquired by said power operated element when moved by said centering device.

2. In an alternating current relay, a movable contact element adapted to control electrical circuits and having a neutral and an energized position, an electro-magnetically operated driving element connected to said contact element for moving said contact element from said neutral position to said energized position, a mechanical centering device for returning said contact element and said driving element to said neutral position, and means comprising a lost motion connection, including spaced pins fixed to a driven member, and a pivoted lever positioned between, and operable by, said pins between sald driving element and said centering device for permitting the dissipation of the momentum acquired by said driving element when driven by said centering device to said neutral position. v

3. A relay comprising a movable contact element having a neutral position and an energized position, an electrically operated driving element for moving said contact element to said energized position, a centering device, means for connecting said centering device and said driving element to said contact element including, a slip clutch operably connecting said driving element to said contact element a nvoted arm means mechanically connecting said centering device to one end of said pivoted arm, and lost motion means connecting said drivmg element to the other end of said pivoted arm.

l. A relay comprising a movable contact element having a neutral position and an energized position, means for operating said contact element comprising a shaft mechanically connected to said element, an electrically-driven rotor frictionally connected to said shaft, a mechanical centering device directly connected to said shaft and a lost motion connection between said rotor and said. centering device including an element directly driven by the rotor, spaced pins projecting from such element, and apivoted lever operable by the centering device and projecting between said pins for operation thereby, said rotor acting when operated to move said contact element to said energized position, and said centering device acting to return said contact element to said neutral position.

5. In a relay mechanism, a movable contact element adapted to control electrical circuits and having an energized position and a neutral position, a shaft mechanically connected to said contact element through a pinion, a centering device fixed to said shaft and adapted to move said contact element to said neutral position, a directly connected electrically driven sector movably mounted on said shaft, means including a spring and said pinion for establishing a'frictional connecrion between said sector and said shaft, and a lost motion connection between said sector and said centering device including parallel spaced pins on the sector and a lever fixed to said shaft, said sector acting when operated to move said contact element to said energized position.

6. In a relay mechanism, a movable contact element having a neutral position and two energized positions, a shaft mechanically connected to said contact element, a lever rigidly secured to said shaft, spring pressed means engaging said lever and adapted to move said contact element from either of said energized positions to said neutral position, a sector having a yieldable engagement with said shaft and a lost motion engagement with said lever, and inductively operable means for driving said sector to move said contact element to either of said energized positions from said neutral position.

7. In an induction type relay, a movable contact element having a neutral position and an energized position, a shaft mechanically connected to said contact element, an electro-magnetically operable rotor mechanically connected to said shaft and adapted to move said shaft and said contact element to said energized position, an extension rigidly connected to said shaft, a spring pressed pivotally mounted arm engaging said extension and biasing said contact element and said rotor mechanism to said neutral position, and a lost motion connection between said rotor and said shaft whereby 5 the momentum acquired by said rotor mechanism when driven b said spring pressed arm may be dissipat in friction after said shaft and said contact element have been moved to said neutral position.

1 8. In a rela mechanism, a movable contact element a apted to control electrical circuits and having an energized position and a neutral position, ashaft mechanically connected to said contact element through a pinion, a centering device fixed to said shaft and adapted to move said contact element to said neutral position, it directly connected electrically driven sector movably mounted on said shaft, means including a spring and said pinion for establishing a frictional connection between said sector and said shaft, and a lost motion connection between said sector and said centering device including parallel spaced pins on the sector and a lever fixed to said shaft, said sector acting when operated to move said contact element to said energized position.

In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature. I RICHARD C. LEAKE. 

